Torpedo-planting device



F H HUTCHINSON TORPEO PLANTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION f|LD-1uLY 24.1919.

fr. f We 'Wi/lmaooo 7 zig F. H. HUTCHINSON.

TORPEDO PLANUNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 1uLY24. |919.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 mll @wwwrun Il O "IHHSIHHH MNHN @im Hu amines;

L. m Mm D MW s ra'rnn'ronnion FLOYD -I. HUTCHNSN, OFHQVER, VIASHINGTON.

i 'ronrnno-rnanalns DEVICE.

Application filed July 24, 19,19.,L Serial No. 313,094.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FLOYD H. HUTGHIN- soN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Hover, yin thecounty of Ben# ton and Sta-te of Washington, have inventedl firmly planted upon the railswithout requir? ing the stopping of the train from which y the torpedo is delivered and without requiring the employee who places the torpedo, to leave the train.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows:

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a vertical, sectional view through the lower portion of a Atorpedo, planting device constructed in accordance with the invention with a torpedo held ready to be planted,

I Fig. 2 is an edge view of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 1, and` Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating the parts in the positions they occupy after the torpedo has been planted.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The improved torpedo planting device constituting the subject matter of the present invention comprises a handle of any desired length the lower portion of which is indicated at 5. Ahpair of spaced plates 6 is secured to the handle by means of bolts or other fastening devices 7. Arms 8 are pivoted at 9 between the plates 6 and are adapted to be moved fromfthe position illustrated in Fig. 1 to the position illustrated in Fig. 3. Secured to the inner faces of the arms 8 are strips of metal 1() which at their lower ends are first curved outwardly and are then bent upon themselves and extended inwardly to constitute opposed flaring portions 11. Their extremities are bent at 12 to engage over lips 13 of pockets 14 whereby the latter are held in place. A torpedo l5. having spring ngers 16 adapted to resiliently engage the ball portion or head of a rail is illustrated in Fig. l in the .position it occupies r4preparatory to being planted.

Atthis timethese spring fingers project intov the pockets 14 and lie between the side walls 'fle/ on said pockets and the action of-these lingers holds the arms 8 in closedposi'tion againstthe tension'of a spring 17. The spring 17 consists of a strip of spring steel that is bent upon itself' and rests within the recess formed in the lower end of the handle 5. A wedge block 18 together with a bolt 19 hold this spring in place and the Vwedge block spreads the same. ,l I

When it is desired to plant a torpedo, a brakem'an upon a moving train may, by leaning over the rear end of the train, thrust the torpedo planter downwardly and into engagement with the rail. The ball of the rail acting upon the iiaring portions l1 with a wedging action forces the arms `8 away from each other'until the' spring ngers 16 snap over the extremities 12 of the strips 10. Thereupon the spring 17 acts to throw the arms 8 to the vposition illustrated iny Fig. 3 leaving the torpedo in engagement with the rail, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The opening movement of the arms 8 is limitedV by the engagement of the tapered portionA 8a of the armswiththe tapered portions 5a of the handle and it is apparent that'when the arms are thus thrown to open position the device may readily be withdrawn by the brakeman without danger of its being caught by the rail.

While the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, itis to be under-- lstood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

vHaving described my invention what Vl claim is:

1. A device of the character described,

vcomprising a handle, a pair of members v Specification of Letters Patent. Patniid Feb. 10, 1920; n

the spring fingers of a torpedo and flaringcombination with spring means normally tending to move the arms apart.

4, A structurev as recited in claim 2 in combination with spring means normally tending to move the arms apart and means for limiting the opening movement of said arms. o

5'. A device of the character described, comprising a handle, a pair of plates secured to the lower end of said handle, a

pair of arms pivoted between said plates, a pair of strips secured to said arms and bent to form flaring portions, pockets held by said strips and a spring carried by the handle and normally tending to move the arms away from each other, `as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in the `presence of two witnesses.

FLOYD H. HUTCHINSON.

lVitnesses:

D. L. TAYLOR, K. C. GIFFORD. 

